BARKHAD ABDI

Oscar record: Captain Phillips is Abdi's first film. The son of a teacher, he fled Somalia's civil war aged seven and was working as a chauffeur when he was cast by director Paul Greengrass.

The critics said: "The extraordinary Abdi, a Mogadishu émigré living in Minneapolis, had never acted before. Yet he crushes his scenes with Hanks, his skinny bravado a force to reckon with." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

BRADLEY COOPER

Age: 39

Nominated for: American Hustle

The character: Richie DiMaso, a single-minded FBI agent with a tight perm, who enlists the help of two con artists to bring down corrupt government officials in New Jersey.

Oscar record: One best actor nomination, for his portrayal of bi-polar schoolteacher Pat Solitano in 2012's Silver Linings Playbook.

The critics said: "That Cooper can keep a straight face with all the hair and beard and wardrobe stuff going on is a testament to his thespian chops. On top of that, he brings a storm of angst and ambition to the table." Steven Rea, Philadelhpia Inquirer.

MICHAEL FASSBENDER

Age: 36

Nominated for: 12 Years a Slave

The character: Edwin Epps, a sadistic plantation owner who struggles to reconcile racism with his feelings towards his female slave, Patsey.

Oscar record: None

The critics said: "Fassbender is brilliant in the part. Violence is always only a hair's breadth away, but his belief in his authority results in an eccentricity at times so delicate as to be even more terrifying than the temper... He goes straight from strangling a woman to softly cuddling a terrified friend." Paul MacInnes, The Guardian.